Rotary system with axial gas bearing

Abstract

A rotation system (10) is disclosed having at least one axial gas bearing, containing: a housing (11), a shaft (12) that can be rotated relative to the housing (11), at least one bearing plate (13) attached to the shaft (12), and at least one bearing assembly (14) which supports the bearing plate (13) relative to the housing (11), via an axial gas bearing. The bearing assembly (14) has, from inside to outside, a radially inner region (15) supporting the bearing plate (13), a radially central region (16) and a radially outer region (17) held by the housing (11). The radially inner region (15) contains at least one axial bearing element (19) and at least one retention element (20). The bearing plate (13) is supported by the axial bearing element (19), and the retention element (20) holds the axial bearing element (19) in the axial direction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rotary system with at least one axial gas bearing containing:
 a housing, 
 a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, 
 at least one bearing washer fastened to the shaft, and 
 at least one bearing assembly which supports the bearing washer relative to the housing by an axial gas bearing, 
 wherein the bearing assembly has, from inside to outside, a radially inner region supporting the bearing washer, a radially central region and a radially outer region held by the housing, the radially inner region contains at least one axial bearing element and at least one holding element, and the bearing washer is supported by the axial bearing element and the holding element holds the axial bearing element in the axial direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially central region is more elastic than the radially inner region. 
     
     
       3. The rotary system according to  claim 2 , wherein the radially central region is more elastic than the radially inner region due to at least one material weakening of the radially central region. 
     
     
       4. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially central region is more elastic than the radially outer region. 
     
     
       5. The rotary system according to  claim 4 , wherein the radially central region is more elastic than the radially outer region due to at least one material weakening of the radially central region. 
     
     
       6. The rotary system according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one material weakening is formed by a recess formed in the axial direction or by an opening penetrating the bearing assembly. 
     
     
       7. The rotary system according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one material weakening is formed by a recess formed in the axial direction or by an opening penetrating the bearing assembly. 
     
     
       8. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding element holds the axial bearing element by a holding mechanism selected from the group consisting of clamping, screwing, soldering, welding, shrinking, pressing, gluing, crystallization connection, press connection, plastic casting and laser sintering. 
     
     
       9. The rotary system according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one axial hearing element contains, or is formed by, two axial bearing washers and the at least one holding element contains, or is formed by, two clamping rings, and the bearing washer is mounted between the axial bearing washers and the clamping rings clamp the axial bearing washers in the axial direction. 
     
     
       10. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially central region of the bearing assembly is formed by an inner section of a spacer disc to which the radially inner region of the bearing assembly is fastened. 
     
     
       11. The rotary system according to  claim 10 , wherein the radially outer region of the bearing assembly is formed by an outer section of the spacer disc held on the housing. 
     
     
       12. The rotary system according to  claim 10 , wherein the inner section of the spacer disc extends between two axial bearing washers of the radially inner region of the bearing assembly between which the bearing washer is supported. 
     
     
       13. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially central region has a modulus of elasticity in the range from 1,000 MPa to 700000 MPa. 
     
     
       14. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially inner region has a modulus of elasticity in the range from 1,000 MPa to 700,000 MPa. 
     
     
       15. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially inner region has a modulus of elasticity in the range from 10,000 MPa to 900,000 MPa. 
     
     
       16. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing assembly has at least one cooling channel which extends in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
       17. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein a circumferentially extending cooling channel is connected to a radial cooling channel in the bearing assembly. 
     
     
       18. The rotary system according to  claim 17 , wherein the radial cooling channel in the bearing assembly is connected to an axial cooling channel in the housing. 
     
     
       19. The rotary system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotary system is selected from the group consisting of turbomachines, engines generators, turbines, coupling systems and flywheels.